Present Tense Narration in Contemporary Fiction A Narratological Ove
In this book, Irmtraud Huber considers a wide range of contemporary novels to explore the variety of possibilities and effects of the use of the present tense, as well as investigating the reasons for its popularity. By illustrating the complexity a
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Irmtraud Huber
Present-tense Narration in Contemporary Fiction
Irmtraud Huber
Present-tense Narration in Contemporary Fiction A Narratological Overview
Irmtraud Huber English Department Universität Bern Berne, Switzerland
ISBN 978-1-137-56212-8 ISBN 978-1-137-56213-5 DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-56213-5
(eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016949257 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016 The author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identified as the author(s) of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover illustration: Abstract Bricks and Shadows © Stephen Bonk/Fotolia.co.uk Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London.
CONTENTS
1
Introduction
1
2
Past and Present of Present-Tense Narration
5
3
Narrative Deictic Narration
23
4
Retrospective Narration
39
5
Interior Monologue
55
6
Simultaneous Narration
69
7
Mixed Cases
87
Conclusion
101
Appendix
111
v
vi
CONTENTS
Works Cited
113
Index
119
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Abstract A brief introduction remarks on the prevalence and contentiousness of present tense today and points to the need to recognise the heterogeneity of present-tense usage in contemporary fiction. Keywords present-tense narration • Man Booker Prize • chapter overview
When the jury of the Man Booker Prize 2010 chose three novels for their short-list that were written in the present tense, they received harsh criticism. To some, like author Philipp Pullman, present-tense narration seemed to be no more than an annoying fad, ‘a silly affectation,’ which he criticised as a limitation to narrative possibility (Roberts). While not entirely recent, (the trend has been noticed as early as 1987 by William H. Gass, who is similarly dismissive in his article ‘A Failing Grade for the Present Tens
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